A Heart of Innocence
by Angelina Johnson
Summary: A girl named Claire begins attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and makes some new friends.......... Mary Graham, the girl with the strange dreams and the hidden past, and Jake, the boy who's related to a hero.
1. Leaving Home

A Heart of Innocence  
A 'Mirrors' Story  
Story 4  
  
Part 1  
Claire's Narrative  


  
My name is Claire. People ask if I have a last name. I say yes; my last name is Black. Me, I'm a witch. My dad was a wizard, but I barely knew him. He died when I was two.   
I'm the youngest of four kids. My half-sister, Becky, is 24 and married. My half-brother, Will, is 17. My sister Holly is 14, and I'm 11. Will, Holly and I all attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the finest school of magic in England. Will is in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, Holly is in her fourth year, and I'll be a first year. As for my mum, well, let's just say that she's very unusual. You see, she's a squib, a person who can't do magic but is born of a wizarding family. As for looks, well, let's say we're all different. Becky has blond hair, and green eyes. Becky is really tall and she's kind of skinny. Will has the same blond hair, but his eyes are blue. He's the average weight and height for his age, nothing special. Holly is short and skinny, with bright green eyes and dark brown hair. As for me, I'm even shorter and skinnier than Holly. I have black hair that is thick and curly. It's impossible to brush, so my hair's always a mess, no matter what. My eyes are brown.   
And so, the day begins...........  
"Mum!!!!!! I can't find my make-up!" Holly wailed. Typical Holly. Always worried about clothes, boys, make-up, boys, hair, and oh yeah, did I say boys?  
"I don't care! We're running late. You don't want to miss the train, do you?" Mum yelled back. Mum always was in a bad mood when it was time for us to go to Hogwarts. I guess that's because she can't do magic.   
"No!" Holly wailed. She pounded down the stairs as fast as she could while dragging her trunk. Will and I were right at her heels, which made it even harder for her to get down the stairs.   
"Okay, are you all ready?" mum asked grouchily.  
"Yes!" we said in unison, ignoring mum's grouchiness. Mum shoed us out to the car.  
"I get front!" Will called. Holly groaned. Will always got front.  
"Oh well," Holly muttered, I rolled my eyes. Holly was the only person I knew that ever cared about Will always sitting in the front.  
"Hey Holly?" I said.  
"What?" she snapped back, looking annoyed.  
"How do you get sorted into the houses?"  
"Well," Holly began, but Will butted in.  
"They make you go in the Forbidden Forest and wrestle a troll. When you come out, they look you over and determine what house you should be in. I mean, if you come out in one piece."  
"Will!" mum cried, looking at Will with daggers in her eyes.  
"They don't really," Holly whispered through her laughter, "he just made that up."  
"Thank goodness," I said back. But I still hadn't gotten an answer to my question. How do they sort you into houses? What if you have to do something like an extremely difficult spell? I didn't have any more time to dwell on this, though, because we had just arrived at King's Cross, and I was faced with a new obstacle: Finding and getting onto the platform. We walked in, and the first thing I saw was Platform 9. I glanced to the left of it. There was Platform 8. To it's right was Platform 10. So where was Platform 9 3/4?  
"Mum, where's the platform?" I asked. Once again, Will butted in.  
"You have to perform an extremely difficult spell. It's really hard. I took forever to get in my first year. I nearly missed the train. Fortunately I caught it just in time," he said, smirking.  
"But I don't know any spells," I whined.  
"Tough luck. Looks like you aren't going to Hogwarts."  
"Oh no!" I cried. Holly and Will burst out laughing.  
"What's so funny?" I asked, trying my best to sound hurt.  
"Claire, you are so gullible!" Holly said.  
"Really," Will added.  
"You don't really believe that they'd make you do a difficult spell, do you?" Holly asked.  
"Well, yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.  
"Good grief, girl! All you have to do is walk through the barrier!" Holly said.   
"Oh," I said as I started laughing with Holly and Will.  
"Hurry up, you three. You don't want to miss the train, do you?" mum asked for the fifth time. We shook our heads again and passed quickly through the barrier. There before us was a bright red steam engine. We hauled our stuff onto it before kissing mum good-bye and going our separate ways.  
"Must find Caroline," Will said. Caroline is Will's girlfriend. Holly muttered something about Lindy before leaving me as well. I just sat down in an empty compartment towards the back of the train. I didn't have to wait long before being joined by a boy my age. He was short and skinny, with bright green eyes and extremely messy black hair. He looked like someone I used to know. But of course, since Dad's death, my family lost contact with other families.   
"Hello," he said, "my name's Jake Potter." Potter! Of course! My dad had been best friends with Jake's dad John. That's where I knew him from!  
"Claire Black," I said, shaking the boy's hand.  
"Black....... Where've I heard that name before? Black, Black............." Jake sat thinking for a few moments. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and said, "I've got it! Sirius Black. That's where I've heard that name before. He was the guy that escaped from Azkaban and got a Dementor's Kiss when they caught him!" Jake looked pleased with himself for remembering. Obviously he didn't realize I was scowling.  
"He was innocent," I muttered.  
"Well, duh. I know that. My family's known all along. Remember, I'm related to James, Lily **_and_** Harry."  
"Oh. At least my sister, mum, and I aren't the only ones who know." Jake nodded. He was about to speak when our compartment door slid open. In walked a girl with semi-long light brown hair. Her eyes were a grayish-blue color. She was skinny as well, and slightly taller than me. Of the three of us, Jake was the shortest, but not by much.  
"Hello," she said timidly, "I'm Mary Graham Lupin." Another face of the past. She had to have been Olivia's daughter. My mom, Gemma, had been best friends with Olivia. Of course, Mary Graham wasn't expected to remember me. We hadn't seen each other since we were four......... The fire had split our families up even more than dad's death. Dad and Zach had been good friends, but dad was gone. Olivia and mom had been good friends, but Olivia had died in the fire.  
"Hello, Mary," Jake said.  
"Um, actually my name is Mary Graham. Kind of like Mary Anne," Mary Graham said.  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Jake Potter. Pleased to meet you."  
"And I'm Claire Black," I said.  
  


Mary Graham's Narrative  


  
"And I'm Claire Black," the girl had said. Could she possibly be related to Sirius? 'You may never know if you don't ask,' I told myself. So I asked her.  
"Are you by any chance related to Sirius Black?" I asked. Claire looked shock.  
"Well, um, yes," Claire said.  
"It's terrible, what happened to him, I mean," I said.  
"Yeah," Claire nodded, "and you don't know the half of it," she added quietly.  
"I mean, going to Azkaban for nothing, that sucks. And the Dementor's Kiss for nothing! Ugh, he sure got the crappy end of the deal," I said. Claire stared at me.  
"How do you........ I mean, who........ How'd you know that?" Claire asked.  
"I, er, have some old documents of Remus'," I said.  
"You do?" Claire's interest seemed to have perked.  
"Yes...... why?"  
"Maybe we could...."  
"If you're thinking of using them to clear Sirius' name, I wouldn't count on it. Remus was a werewolf, remember?"  
"Oh." Claire became silent. She was obviously disappointed. I sighed. I wanted to help her, but there was no way for me to.  
I looked out the trains window. The sun was setting, and the sky was beautiful; all different shades, it looked almost like a rainbow. Looking at it made me feel like a little kid again.  


  
~~~~  
  


"Mommy! Help!"  
"Mary Graham, it's okay. Climb out the window!"  
"But what about you?"  
"I'll be fine. Just go!  
"But......."  
"GO!" The fire raged as I climbed out the window. I ran safely out of harms way, and waited for Mom. But she never came.  
~~~~   
"Mary Graham, wake up, we're there!" I felt myself being shaken. Slowly I opened my eyes.  
"What happened?"  
"You fell asleep, that's all," Claire said. I nodded. But I knew better. I was still being haunted by it.  
  


Interlude  


  
"My faithful servant, the time is now. Present yourself to them, befriend them, do whatever you need to do. When the time is right, you shall present them to me. And then I will kill them."  
"But the girls........."  
"Ah, yes. I failed to kill Lupin before, but I shan't this time. As for Black, she shouldn't be too hard. After all, she's related to that fool, Sirius, isn't she?"  
"Of course, my lord. But the Potter boy......"  
"Alas, I failed to kill his ancestor, but I will not fail on him.  
"Of course, my lord."  
"Good. Now go."  


  
*Finis*  


  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Getting Sorted

A Heart of Innocence  
A 'Mirrors' Story  
Story 4  
  
Part 2  
Mary Graham's Narrative  
  
As the station came into view, our compartment door slid open one last time.  
"Hello," said a tall, gangly girl. She had blue eyes and strawberry blond hair. Her voice was very high, and she looked about average, if not a little over, weight.  
"Hi," said another girl from behind her. This one had black hair and brown eyes. She was tall and thin, and she looked kind of Asian.  
"My name is Kate Carey, and this is Betsy Wimberly," the Asian one said.   
"Nice to meet you. I'm Claire Black," Claire said.  
"I'm Mary Graham Lupin, and this," I said "is Jake Potter." I pointed to Jake, who was gaping at Kate. I was about to elbow him in the ribs, but Claire got their first.  
"OW!" Jake yelped. Much to my surprise, and Jake's dismay, Kate laughed.  
We didn't have any more time to talk, because just then the train pulled into the station. All the first years walked slowly, and nervously, off the train, while the second through seventh years jumped off giddily.  
"I need all first years over here!" called a firm voice. I whirled around. There stood a woman with sleek black hair that was wrapped tightly in a bun, with blue eyes. She was tall, and she looked strict.  
"I am Professor McGonagall. I am the headmistress here at Hogwarts."  
"Professor McGonagall, ay?" Jake said in an undertone. I groaned.  
  
Kate's Narrative  
  
"Jake! Don't make fun of the headmistress!" Betsy squealed in dismay. Betsy has always been such a goody-goody. Never lying, never insulting anyone (especially not teachers) and so on. All truth told, Betsy is actually kind of, well, strange. Oddly enough, we've been best friends for, like, an eternity. We've never kept secrets from each other, all though lately I've had the weirdest feeling, almost like Betsy's hiding something from me.  
"Only four to a boat," McGonagall said. Jake shrugged and walked over to one of the other boats. Betsy, Mary Graham, Claire and I sat down in a boat.  
"Now row!" McGonagall called. I thought she was talking to us, so I pulled hopelessly on the oars. I didn't make any progress, although I did realize with a start that the oars were rowing on their own. Betsy seemed absolutely infatuated by the self-rowing oars.  
"Cool," she whispered. As we rounded a bend, Hogwarts Castle came into view. Many people gasped, me included. The castle was huge, not to mention beautiful. I didn't have much time to look at it, though, because we pulled into a cave underneath the castle only moments after rounding the bend.  
"Follow me," McGonagall said. All of us hopped out of the boats and followed McGonagall into a huge corridor. We were inside of the castle, I supposed. She led us through the corridor and opened a door. There was a huge hall, where the rest of the school already was seated. I looked up at the ceiling, which seemed to go up forever. I was surprised to see stars twinkling up there. They looked identical to the ones in the night sky. I smiled. I love the stars, always have. My good friend, Krystal, is a centaur, and she taught me to interpret and understand them. I could even predict the future through the stars, although sometimes the things I saw weren't good. But the stars were pushed out of my head as something began to sing. I was shocked to see that that thing was an old, raggedy hat.  
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see........." I listened intently to the hat. It sang about the four houses. I laughed at it's pathetic attempts to make the Slytherin House look good. After all that everyone had told me about Slytherin, I didn't believe it. Above all, I wanted to be put in Gryffindor House. It sounded by far the best.  
"Acree, Mike!" McGonagall yelled. A short boy ran up to the stool and jammed the hat on.   
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat yelled suddenly. The boy ran over to the Hufflepuff table.  
"Black, Claire!" Claire walked cautiously up to the hat. She eased it onto her head nervously. The hat bellowed "GRYFFINDOR!" almost immediately. She smiled and walked to the Gryffindor Table.  
"Briley, Haley," went to Gryffindor as well. Now it was my turn.  
"Carey, Kate!" I walked to the hat, and jammed it onto my head, praying for Gryffindor.  
"Ah, Gryffindor? Is that really what you want?" My head was screaming yes.  
"Yes, ay?" The hat must have been reading my mind.  
"Well, why not? GRYFFINDOR it is." I grinned from ear to ear and joined Claire at the Gryffindor Table.  
  
Mary Graham's Narrative  
  
My head was throbbing. It had been ever since I'd had the dream. I still tried my best to smile.  
"You okay?" Jake whispered.  
"Yes," I lied. Jake nodded.  
"Lupin, Mary Graham!" Finally it was my turn.  
"Where to put you? Ravenclaw, perhaps?"  
NO, GRYFFINDOR!   
The hat must have heard me, because the next thing it said was, "Ah, excellent choice. All right then, GRYFFINDOR!" I felt queasy as I joined Kate at the Gryffindor Table. I watched the rest of the Sorting patiently. It looked like Jake was about to puke, and Betsy was turning a shade of green. Finally Jake was called up to be sorted. After only a few seconds, the hat bellowed "GRYFFINDOR!" Jake looked incredibly relieved. We waited only a few more minutes before Betsy was called up. She was the last one to be called, right after David Weasley, who was also a Gryffindor. The hat bellowed "GRYFFINDOR!" one last time, and Betsy sat down. The color slowly retuned to her face. Professor McGonagall stood up and was about to speak when everything went black.  


~~~  


  
The night was cold, and the roaring fire cast an eerie glow on dad's face. We watched the burning house in silence, hoping desperately that mom would come out any second now. What came next was totally unexpected. From within the fire came a high, cruel laugh.  


  
~~~  
  


"Mary Graham!" A voice yelled. I blocked out the voices that surrounded me. A hatred surged within me, and it was stronger than anything I'd ever felt before. For I had forgotten that laugh in the years since then, since that terrible night, but I knew in years to come that that laugh would haunt me. For now I understood whose laugh it was.  
  
Epilogue  
  
"What now, my lord?"  
"She remembers, I presume?"  
"Yes, my lord."  
"Let it by. The time is not yet right. We must wait."  
"Of course, my lord."  
"Now we have a new obstacle."  
"What ever do you mean, my lord?"  
"The other girl. Why did you never tell me of her er...... talents."  
"I never knew, my lord."  
"Fine. Go. I shall be seeing you again soon."  
"Oh yes, my lord. Very soon." The manic glint returned to the traitor's eyes. She grinned triumphantly and walked away.  
  


*Finis*  


  
  
  
  



	3. The Real Haley

A Heart of Innocence  
A 'Mirrors' Story  
Story 4  
  
Part 3  
Kate's Narrative  
  
"That was so scary, Mary Graham!" Claire exclaimed. I nodded.  
"Shut up," Mary Graham shot back.  
"But....." Jake said.  
"Mary Graham!" Betsy cried, startled by her response.  
"I mean it. I don't want to talk about it." We nodded. Mary Graham looked so determined, even though she was laying on a hospital bed, weak and pale.  
"Are you all right, Miss Lupin?" McGonagall asked. Mary Graham nodded with a weak smile.  
"Miss Carey, will you stay here with Miss Lupin for a few more minutes?" I nodded.  
"That means that you five can go," McGonagall added. They nodded and slowly, one by one, drifted out of the hospital wing.  
"Five?" Mary Graham asked.  
"Yeah. Haley and Dave were really worried about you........"  
"So they came with us."   
"Oh." She sounded far-off and dreary, disappointed almost.  
"You okay?"  
"Yes," she said, not sounding in the slightest way convincing.  
"That was freaky," I said.  
"You don't know the half of it," she said in barely a whisper. She had obviously not meant for me to hear it, so I said nothing. I glanced out the window at the stars instead.  
"What are you looking at?" Mary Graham asked curiously.  
"The stars," I said, acknowledging that Mars was unusually bright.  
"Why?" Mary Graham asked.  
"My good friend was a centaur," I said.  
"Oh. So, can you read them? I mean, the stars. Can you? I was just wondering, you know, because centaurs are known for their ability to read stars."  
"Well, yeah."  
"What do you see?"  
"Just stuff."  
"What are you seeing right now?"  
"I see...... Well, it's hard to explain. See Mars?" I pointed.  
"Yes."  
"Notice how bright it is."  
"Well, yeah."  
"That means mystery in ones past." Mary Graham gasped.  
"You really see that?"  
"Yes. Would I lie to you?"  
"N-no." She hesitated. Then...... "I think it's time I told you something.........."  
  
Haley's Narrative  
  
I couldn't sleep when I got back to Gryffindor Tower. I could hear Claire snoring loudly in the bed beside me, and Betsy had disappeared a while ago. I was just thinking, mainly about the sorting. My parents had both been Slytherins. I hate my family. Briley may be my real last name, but hey, that's all the better reason **not **to go under it. I go under Haley Nordine, the name my foster parents gave me. I'm glad they let me go under their name. I wouldn't have been able to stand going under my real name, Brittany Briley. My family is just so terrible, I refuse to have anything to do with them. See, they're evil. They are huge supporters of evil, particularly Voldemort. Me, I hate Voldemort. My parents hated the stand I'd taken against their master at such a young age. In fact, that was the reason they dumped me at an orphanage, although heaven knows I preferred the crazy atmosphere there over the evil that lurked in the Briley house. Even though the orphanage was better than where I had been before, it wasn't my favorite place on earth, which is why I thank the Nordine's. They adopted me, and even luckier than that, they were an old wizarding family. They were very unlike my **real **family. The Nordine's house had a loving atmosphere, and the two young people (only in their early thirties) had both been in Ravenclaw when they had attended Hogwarts.   
Getting back to the present (sort of)......... As much as I hated my last name being acknowledged as Briley, it had been a relief to be sorted under it. I don't think I could have lasted all the way to 'N'. I had watched the kids be sorted after me, and they had looked ready to faint. Their faces had gone colors like green, blue, and purple out of pure nervousness. Some had looked like they were going to puke at any second. I had been glad to be sorted at the beginning, even if it meant going under Briley.  
Anyway....... All my blood-relatives had been Slytherins, evil, Voldemort loving...... Which left me to wonder: Why had I been put in Gryffindor? Even if I were more like the Nordines, that would have left me in Ravenclaw, like them. I think. Maybe I was just that different.   
"That's awful, Mary Graham," I heard Kate say from outside the door, shaking me back into reality. Then the door opened. I immediately lay down, but they saw me.  
"Hello Haley Briley," Mary Graham said.  
"Nordine," I corrected.  
"Oh. Okay," she said. You could tell she must have been tired. Unfortunately, Kate wasn't satisfied.  
"How come?"  
"My real name is Brittany Briley, but my real parents were evil....." Kate interrupted.  
"How so?" she said.  
"They support Voldemort."  
"Ooh, yuck! Er, never mind me. Continue."  
"They sent me to an orphanage because I hated the freak."  
"You go girl!"  
"And the Nordine's adopted me. Renamed me Haley. Let me go under their last name. It's really quite a relief. I hate the Brileys."  
"Oh," Mary Graham said.  
"So, are you okay?" I asked her.  
"Yeah, I think so."  
"Where's Betsy?" Kate interrupted.  
"I haven't a clue." Betsy chose then to skip into the room, as if on cue. She looked utterly happy.  
"Hello, all!" she said.  
"Where were you?" Kate questioned.  
"Oh, no where," Betsy said.  
"What ever," Kate said.  
"Look, I'm tired. It's been a long day, and I just want to sleep."  
"I'm with her," came Claire's sleepy voice. We had obviously woken her up.  
"Nope. You snore too loud," I declared.  
"Why, you!" Claire pretended to be very angry, but she was failing miserably, considering she was laughing.  
"Oh no! She snores!" Kate was looking mock-horrifed the whole time she said this, which sent Mary Graham into a fit of giggles.  
"Is anyone else tired?" Betsy demanded.  
"No!" we all replied. And we weren't. Now we were all wide awake. I mean, it was only 9:30!  
"What do you guys want to do?" Mary Graham asked.  
"Poker?" I suggested hopefully.  
"SLEEP!" Betsy said, nearly yelling.  
"Chill, Bets!" Kate said.  
"But I wanna go to sleep!" Betsy whined.  
"Good for you," I said warily.  
  
Mary Graham's Narrative  
  
"I seriously want to go to sleep," Betsy persisted.  
"So?" I asked.  
"Guys! How can any one be so cruel?" Betsy asked.  
"Look, let's just sleep. It'll get her to shut up, and besides, I'm feeling kinda dizzy again," I said.  
"Okay," Kate said.  
"Yeah," chorused Claire.  
"Good idea," Haley put in.  
"What? You wouldn't go to sleep when I suggested it!" Betsy sounded hurt.  
"Oh, honestly, shut up!" Claire said. We agreed. Finally, we settled down.  
Betsy fell asleep almost instantly, Claire following short after. Haley wasn't awake much longer. Finally it was just me and Kate. Kate was sitting in the bed next to me. Headphones were over her ears. Out of shear boredom, I asked her what she was listening to. Big mistake. I'm sorry I asked.  
"The Silverwing Kids. They're the best!"  
"The Who Kids?"  
"The Silverwing Kids. You can't tell me you haven't heard of them."  
"I can't? That's funny, because I haven't."  
"You've never heard of the Silverwing Kids? Oh, you poor thing! They're only about the greatest band around!"  
"I listen to old stuff. Backstreet Boys........" Kate stopped me at that.  
"You listen to stuff that old? Child, what am I gonna ta do with ya?"  
"Er......"  
"Here, listen to this," Kate said, shoving the headphones over my ears. I listened for a moment, then shoved it back at Kate.  
"Great, aren't they?"  
"Kate? How on earth can you like this junk?" I asked weakly. What I had just heard was a bunch of wailing maniacs. The lyrics they sang made no sense, and they flowed terribly together. They hit all the wrong notes with their voices and with their background music.   
"Junk? Junk?" Kate started giving me a boring lecture. It actually was a good thing. It helped me fall asleep.  
  
~~~~  
"Mommy!" cried a helpless little girl. I realized the girl was myself.  
"Mommy, I smell fire!" cried the younger me, no more than four.  
"Oh, no. Mary Graham, mommy's coming." Her voice soothed the young me. I relaxed as my mother ran into my bedroom, the very bedroom I had watched go up in flames years before. Seven years since the house had gone up in flames, my mother in it.  
"Mary Graham, we're going to have to climb out the window."  
"Away from the fire?" I asked.  
"Yes. Now be a good girl and go first.  
"No, mommy, you go."  
"No, Mary Graham. You must go first." So I did. I climbed onto the windowsill, then hesitated.  
"It's too high. I can't."  
"You can!" my mother assured me.  
"Mommy, I'm scared."  
"I know you are, Mary Graham, but it's all going to be okay."  
"Promise?"  
"Yes, darling."  
~~~~  
  
I woke up, panting and sweating. I glanced at the clock. 5:30. We needn't wake until 6:30 or so. Breakfast wasn't until 8:00, and our first class at 9:30. I gently woke Kate.  
"Mary Graham, wassa matter?" she asked sleepily.  
"Kate, it's important," I urged.  
"All right, all right." Kate sat up, and finally looked at the clock. She went ballistic.  
"What the heck do you think you're doing, waking me up an hour and a half before I have to be awake?"  
"Kate, it's about those dreams," I whispered.  
"Oh. Okay," she said, her interest finally caught.  
"More of them, huh?" she asked.  
"Yes," I said sadly.  
"Wow, you must have a very terrible past if it haunts you _that _much."  
"Oh, I do! It's just so terrible to think about," I sobbed.  
"Shh. It's okay, Mary Graham," Kate said soothingly.  
  
Interlogue  
  
"I shall make my return to power soon." The evil one laughed.  
"And then you shall kill those whose powers rival your own even at such a young age!" the servant said eagerly.  
"Yes, child, but be patient. That will take a while."  
"How I hate them! Potter's so stuck up, Black's so nosy, Lupin's such a freak....." the servant's voice trailed off.  
"Ah, you mustn't forget what I did to her beloved mother. The fire was perfect. How unfortunate I didn't kill her then as well!"  
"Yes, my lord, but you can't have forgotten Carey! Her being able to read the stars may interfere greatly in our plans."  
"I shall do away with her first," the evil one said bluntly.  
"But there's still Nordine. She knows too much. Her true parents are faithful servants of yours."  
"Very faithful. They are both right in my inner-circle."  
"I knew, my lord."  
"Very well. I must tell you, I am very pleased with you. I found much disappointment in the girl. She has broken my trust. Refuses to betray her friends. What a goody-goody! Pity I couldn't kill her now, but it would make too big a scene. I must keep quiet until I am back at full strength."  
"She left you?" the servant choked.  
"Yes."  
"Stupid girl. You must kill her first, master!"  
"Second. After Carey." He laughed evilly at his own evilness before he and his servant departed.  
  
  



	4. Classes Start!

A Heart of Innocence  
A 'Mirrors' Story  
Story 4  
  
Part 4  
Kate's Narrative  
  
"What the heck is that thing?" I yelled suddenly. I was sitting in the Common Room with my friends. Haley and Betsy had gotten into a particularly boring conversation about Transfiguration, and Mary Graham and Claire were whispering quietly in the corner. I had been gazing out the window and had seen something pink fly by. I suppose I could've been hallucinating, but the pink thing looked so real........  
"What's what, Kate?" Claire asked.  
"Didn't you see that?" I cried.  
"See what, Kate?" Mary Graham asked.  
"That thing!" I insisted.  
"What thing?" Betsy inquired.  
"That pink thing!"  
"What pink thing?" Claire asked.  
"The thing that just went flying by the window!"  
"Are you okay? Do you have a fever or something?" Haley asked, pressing the back of her palm against my forehead.  
"You feel warm," Haley said, "Go see Madam Delanie."  
"I'm not sick, really, guys!"   
"Ya'll, why don't I take her by there on the way to breakfast? I can tell Betsy's starving," Mary Graham said.  
"I'm not sick!" I told Mary Graham once again as she dragged me off to the hospital wing.  
"I know, but they won't rest until they're positive. It doesn't hurt to check, does it? And you do look a little clammy," she added.  
"Fine." So the two of us walked into the hospital wing, side by side, and let Madam Delanie examine me. She also insisted on checking on Mary Graham, after last night's events.  
It turned out I had a fever, and Mary Graham admitted that she had had a few dizzy spells since last night, when she had passed out. We both insisted we felt fine, though, so we were sent on our way. We couldn't miss the first day of classes, could we?  
There were no empty seats anywhere near our friends, so we slid into two empty seats across from a boy who looked only slightly older than us. A second year, maybe.  
"Hi," the boy said shyly.  
"Hi," we replied.  
"My name's Griffin Armano. What are yours?"  
"Mary Graham Lupin."  
"Kate Carey."  
"Pleased to meet you."  
"Pleased to meet you, too, Griffin."  
"Call me Grif. Everyone does."  
"Oh." We didn't talk to Grif anymore, because a couple other boys came over and started teasing him. I wanted to do something, but Mary Graham pulled on my arm and dragged me over to the others. Several people had finished up, so we took their seats.  
"Says here our first class is Potions. I wonder how to get there?" Jake said, peering down at a piece of paper in his hand. He handed Mary Graham and I our schedules. He was right, our first class was Potions. I was looking to see what we had in the afternoon, but Professor McGonagall walked over.  
"Are you alright?" she asked Mary Graham.   
"Yes, I'm fine, Professor," Mary Graham answered.   
"That's good. Since you missed dinner, I suppose I should fill you in on the announcements made last night during the feast. First of all, the forest on the edge of the grounds is forbidden, it has been since God knows when........... The Welcome Back Dance is this Saturday at 7:00 p.m., and all years are permitted. I believe that is all that pertains to you.......... Well, have a nice day." And she walked away.   
"We should've asked her how to get to Potions," Jake murmured.   
"I suppose we could ask Grif," Mary Graham said, glancing to him in the corner.   
"Who?" Jake asked.  
"Grif Armano. We met him earlier."  
"Ah," Jake said.   
"Hey, Grif!" I called.   
"Yeah?" he said.   
"How do you get to Potions?"   
"I guess I could show ya'll, it's on my way....... Who are your friends?"   
"This is Jake....... Haley...... Betsy....... and Claire."   
"Ah. Nice to meet ya'll."   
So Grif led us to the Potion's classroom. Jake and Mary Graham fell behind, while Haley stayed up near Grif, which left me, Betsy, and Claire in the middle.   
"I wonder what the professor'll be like," Betsy said as Grif pointed to a door and whisked away.   
The six of us clambered down a dark stairway. There were a few dimly lit candles, but otherwise no light. The dungeon itself was rather brightly lit, but it smelled of rotten eggs and burnt toast.   
We split up; Mary Graham, Claire, Haley, Betsy and I went to one table while Jake joined Dave and three other boys at another.  
  
Mary Graham's Narrative   
  
"Will you go to the dance with me?" Jake had asked as we walked to Potions. He and I had fallen slightly behind the others. We were just out of earshot, and I could tell Jake had planned it that way.  
I looked at him. He was grinning nervously, and his face had gone a dark red. He looked so funny I almost wanted to laugh, but I didn't dare. What I really wanted to do was say yes. Because I did want to go to the dance with Jake, really I did.   
"I mean, you don't have to or anything, I was just wondering if you wanted to," Jake said after a moment.   
"No, I do want to go with you, Jake," I said quickly. I suppose I was just as nervous and excited as Jake.   
"That's great," Jake said, his nervous half-smile turning into a broad grin. I smiled back, and we jogged to catch up to Kate, Betsy and Claire, who were trailing Grif and Haley by about the same amount Jake and I had been trailing them.   
The six of us clambered down a dark stairway. There were a few dimly lit candles, but otherwise no light. The dungeon itself was rather brightly lit, but it smelled of rotten eggs and burnt toast.   
There were two tables that sat five people each; Jake went to sit with Dave and the other three Gryffindor boys while Kate, Betsy, Claire, Haley and I sat at the other table.   
The professor was sitting at a desk in the front. He was no more than thirty, I think. When we were totally silent he cleared his throat and took role.   
"Black, Claire."   
"Present."   
"Carey, Kate."   
"Here."  
"Grisham, Andrew."   
"President." The boy next to him sniggered.   
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize we had royalty in our midsts. Welcome to Potions, Mr. President," the Professor said. He spoke in a kind way, not at all mean or sarcastic. It was the kind of thing a kid would say. Naturally, all of us burst out laughing.   
"Lupin, Mary Graham."  
"Here."   
"Martin, Sam." That was the boy who had laughed when Andrew had said, "President."   
"Absent."   
"Not funny, dude," Andy said.   
"Nordine, Haley."  
"Present."   
"Potter, Jake."  
"Hi," Jake said weakly.   
"Thompson, Mac."   
"Status: Available."   
"Weasley, Dave."   
"Right here, sir."   
"Wimberly, Elizabeth."   
"Please, call me Betsy, sir. And yeah, I'm here."  
"Well, hello, Betsy. I am Professor Barnes and I'll be your Potions instructor for the year. Today we will be making a simple Swelling Solution. You should have time left over at the end of class to socialize." And we did. After we had made the Swelling Solution, we were allowed to chat for the last twenty minutes of class.   
"Grif asked me to the dance earlier," Haley said. Kate had gone over to talk to the boys, and Claire was talking to Andy.   
"Jake asked me," I said.   
"No fair. Why hasn't anyone asked me?" Betsy asked.   
"Someone will."   
Just then, Claire walked back over, and Sam came with her, asking to speak to Betsy.   
"Andy asked me to the dance."   
"It's so weird. I mean, we just met these people, and already it's like we've known them forever. It's like we're all best friends all of a sudden."   
"Yeah. I think a dance this early in the year is a little much for first years."   
"No kidding."   
Betsy returned quietly to us after having spoken to Sam, Kate at her heels.   
"That settles it, then. We all have dates for the dance," Kate said.   
"Who're you going with, Mac or Dave?"   
"Dave? Never! Mac, of course."   
"Poor Dave, he doesn't get a date because of Grif."   
"I wouldn't have said yes to him anyway!" Haley objected.   
"If you were desperate you would have, Haley, and you know it," Claire said.   
"I suppose so, yes."   
At the end of class, we trudged back up to the Common Room. We had a free period before lunch, since our flying lessons didn't begin for another week or two.   
Kate, Haley, and Betsy stayed in the Common Room with Mac, Sam, Andy, and, suprisingly, Grif, who had a good half an hour before his next class. Jake and Dave had gone up to their dorm, and Claire and I did the same.  
"M.G., can we talk?" Claire asked me.   
"Sure. Why?"   
"I need your help. I've been so preoccupied the past nine years that I almost forgot the promise I made to my dad when I was little."   
"What promise was that? And why do you need my help?"   
"I need your help, and Jake's, too, I'm assuming. You know our families have been very close in the past. Why, if it weren't for Voldemort and his fires, our families would still be really close. And I know I can trust you guys."   
"What is it you need our help with?"   
"Well....... It may sound stupid, and you don't have to help, if you don't want...... I mean, the man's been dead for years, and there's no real point, no reason..... There's no way to change the past or anything, but....."   
"Claire, just tell me!"   
"Help me clear Sirius' name."   
  
  
Interlude   
  
"Master, the foolish girl wishes to try and clear Black's name."   
"Fool! What matter is that to me! Why do you disobey me?"   
"I haven't disobeyed you, master!" the servant cried.   
"You are too friendly with them!"   
"I need them to trust me...... So I can get the information needed out of them............." The boy shuddered. He was afraid of his master, very much afraid of him.   
"I suppose what you say is believable............ But keep a closer eye on Wimberly! She knows valuable information that she could let slip to her friends, and she knows you, too, were serving me. She could turn you in, and I would be very disappointed with you, small one. Just as disappointed as I was with the Pettigrew girl............. Do you understand me, wee one?" All the servant could no was nod nervously. He didn't dare disagree with Voldemort. That was why he had come to serve him..........   
  
  


*Finis*  


  



End file.
